Merits of taking mini-breaks at home between legs of a RTW trip?
Round the world trips have retained their catchy moniker over the years, even though many people on RTW trips don’t actually go around the world in one continuous loop (especially if they cleverly booked a multi-stop ticket that doesn’t require movement in only one direction). This can make planning an itinerary easier, as you can travel to exactly the destinations you want in the order you want.
And if the idea of taking little “breaks” back on your home turf to rest up and re-organize between legs of your RTW journey is appealing to you, as it is to BootsnAll member C-and-C, that’s an option, too.
But C-and-C is wondering whether planning such mini-breaks back home is a good idea or not. She and her boyfriend are about to embark on a one-year trip, and she’s curious whether other RTW travelers planned stops at home or not:
My bf and I are planning a year-long RTW trip. We are starting off with a 4-month leg in South America, and are considering coming home to the states for 3 weeks or so to see friends and family, as well as take care of additional visas, vaccinations, etc. before heading off to India and Asia for several months.
So, did you plan brief stops back home before setting off on another portion of your long-term trip? If yes, did you appreciate the comforts of home and the ability to organize other aspects of your travels, or did it interrupt your travel flow? If no, do you wish you had, or were you happy staying on the road and organizing travels from wherever you were?
There are already some replies on the BootsnAll boards to this question, and if you have something you’d like to add we’d love to hear it. Just leave your comments on C-and-C’s thread on the BootsnAll boards.
June 19th, 2010 at 3:45 am
I like to travel for a while and then head back home for a break. After being on the road for 3 or 4 months I feel like I need a bit of a break. Travelling is exhausting at times! Being back at home also gives me the chance to catch up on a bit of work or take care of any problems with my house etc, there are always little things at home which need taking care of. But it’s not long after being home that I feel refreshed and ready to get back out there.
Of course, it probably depends on your financial situation as this way of travelling might not be possible for some people.
June 19th, 2010 at 10:03 am
I agree that on a RTW or any long-term travel, taking mini-breaks from travelling is a good thing. But home is where you make it. With the advent of home-swapping and sites like airbnb or homeaway, you can stay longer (or cheaper) in one place and make that your home. For myself after travelling for 6 months I really was tired of travelling. I found I couldn’t make decisions about the next portion of my trip – so I didn’t. I setup “home” for 2 months in Thailand, took a course, did everyday things, met local friends.
June 21st, 2010 at 9:17 am
Interesting proposition. Taking mini-breaks is a good thing but going back home for them may not. Once you get back home and see family and friends, you may not continue your journey for many reasons. You can take mini-breaks any where in the world, you don’t necessarily have to travel thousands of miles back home to do it. Unless, of course, if you’re homesick.
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